The Schempp-Hirth SHK Open Class glider was developed in Germany by

Schempp-Hirth Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany. History Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth. The company was initially called "Sportfl ...

. It was based on the 1964 version of the

Standard Austria The Standard Austria was a single-seat aerobatic glider that was originally designed and built in Austria from 1959 but production was moved in 1962 to Schempp-Hirth in Germany. Development Commissioned by the ''Österreichischer Aeroclub'' � ...

, known as the SH. The Austria was originally a single-seat aerobatic glider that had been designed and built in Austria from 1959 but production was moved in 1962 to the Schempp-Hirth factory in Germany.

Development

In addition to its larger span, the SHK's

V-tail The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...

surfaces were 50% larger than the Austria and there were other improvements. The tailplane was "all-moving", mass-balanced, and had aerodynamic trim tabs. An SHK flown by Rolf Kuntz finished in 3rd place in the Open Class of the 1965

World Gliding Championships The World Gliding Championships (WGC) is a gliding competition held every two years or so by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are sometimes held in the summer in the Southern ...

South Cerney South Cerney is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, 3 miles south of Cirencester and close to the border with Wiltshire. It had a population of 3,074 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 3,464 at the ...

in England. In 1967 a model with improved comfort for the pilot was introduced and a tail chute was provided. The SHK was probably the last mainly wooden Open Class glider to be developed before glass fiber aircraft became available.

Specifications (SHK)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* ''Gliders and Sailplanes Of The World'', Michael Hardy, Ian Allan, 1982, * ''Schempp-Hirth Flight and Maintenance manual for SHK #49'', Schempp-Hirth KG, kirchheim-Teck, March, 1965

External links